The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday called the government to impose a lockdown and declare an emergency in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus in Bangladesh.
The world body made the call when a joint delegation of WHO and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) met with outgoing Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon at the latter’s residence in Dhaka’s Banani.
Mayor Khokon briefed the media after the meeting.
He said, the WHO delegation advised to lock down the parts of the country or a nationwide shutdown, if necessary, as well as declare an emergency. The set of recommendations placed by the WHO would be forwarded to the prime minister for her consideration, he added.
Citing the government is taking necessary measures to battle coronavirus, Khokon urged people to be aware to prevent the spread of the virus.
WHO representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana, Team Leader of WHO Health Emergencies Programme in Bangladesh Dr Hammam El Saka, CDC Country Director Dr Michael S Friedman, personal physician of Prime Minister Dr ABM Abdullah, Chief Health Officer of DSCC Brigadier General Sharif Ahmed were present at the meeting.
Bangladesh on Saturday reported the second death from coronavirus and four new cases, raising the total patients infected with coronavirus to 24.
As of Saturday, the coronavirus pandemic claimed the lives of 11,398 people worldwide, and has so far infected 275,871 people around the world, according to worldometer.
Of them, 172,561 are currently being treated with 7,765 being in serious or critical condition.
So far, 103,310 cases had outcomes and of them, 91,912 (89 percent) recovered and 11 percent died.
The WHO on March 11 declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic.
